Faculty

[Your department] faculty and staff

Our faculty seek to make a difference professionally, academically, and spiritually in the lives of our students. Our professors have a broad range of experience and backgrounds. Their primary motivation is to be in the classroom with their students or in a lab working on real-world projects. Students are encouraged to visit professors in their offices or even contact them at home. Faculty members are ready to be friends and mentors and to build relationships that students will value for a lifetime.

See what degrees you can earn when you learn from these professors.

Hilary Dickerson

Professor of History

(509) 527-2065
hilary.dickerson@wallawalla.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. Washington State University, 2011; U.S. History
  • M.A. Washington State University, 2004; American Studies

Teaching Areas

History of the U.S., Modern East Asian History, Spain and Latin America, History of the Pacific Northwest and Western Thought

Research/Interests

Cultural exchanges between Japan and the U.S. from the 1920s-1950s, particularly focused on the lives on Nobuo Tatsuguchi and B.P. Hoffman

Twentieth Century American History; Japan, particularly from the Meiji-Era to the American Occupation; America during World War II and the Cold War; US foreign policy
Other Activities: Member-at-Large, Asian Studies on the Pacific Coast Board.

Hobbies

Family, travel, literature, camping and cooking

Other

Room

Administration Building 232

Linda Emmerson

Instructor of Philosophy

(509) 527-2492
linda.emmerson@wallawalla.edu

Teaching Areas

Introduction to Philosophy, Essentials of Critical Reasoning, Moral Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, History of Philosophy and Philosophy Seminar

Research/Interests

The relevance of the moral theories of Aristotle, Epicurus, and Epictetus for contemporary ethical discourse; the influence of ancient Greek and Roman thinkers upon the formation of Christian doctrine

Ethics in ancient philosophy

Hobbies

Spending time with family, cooking, needlework, quilting and hiking

Other

Room

Administration Building 226

Patience Taruwinga

Dean and Associate Professor of Management, Quantitative Methods, & Information Systems

(509) 527-2368

patience.taruwinga@wallawalla.edu

Education

  • Doctor of Business Leadership (D.B.L.), University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa, 2012
  • Master's of Science - Management of Information Technology (M.S.-M.I.T.), Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, Indiana University South Bend, 2008
  • Master's of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, Indiana University South Bend, 2003
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Statistics, University of Zimbabwe, 1999

Teaching Areas

Quantitative Methods, Management, and Information Systems

Research/Interests

  • Managing the Complexity of Human Resources in Family Owned Businesses.
  • Recent publications in the International Journal of Sustainable Economies Management (IJSEM)
  • Co-Authored a chapter in the book: Strategic Uses of Social Media for Improved Customer Retention

Hobbies

Family, travel, fishing, hiking and prison ministry

Other

Activities

  • Member Academy of Management since 2012
  • Founder and Owner Geek Investments LLC (An Equipment Export Company with clients in 7 countries)

Faculty Awards

  • Faculty Certificate of Recognition, Indiana University South Bend, 2012
  • Edwin G Kaiser Faculty Scholar Award, Saint Joseph’s College, 2017

Bruce Toews

Associate Dean and Professor of Accounting & Finance

(509) 527-2376

bruce.toews@wallawalla.edu

Education

  • Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) - Finance Specialization, Walden University
  • Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) - Finance Emphasis, California State University, San Bernardino
  • Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) - Accounting Concentration, Pacific Union College
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA), State of Washington

Teaching Areas

Managerial Finance, Investments, Financial Markets & Institutions, Intermediate Accounting, Auditing, Accounting Information Systems, Government & Not-for-Profit Accounting and Real Estate 

Experience

As a CPA for over 30 years, I own and operate a professional services firm providing part-time services in accounting, tax, auditing, wealth management, personal financial planning, and financial software consulting

Awards

  • WWU School of Business Teaching Excellence Award
  • WWU Community Service Award
  • C. Michael and Delona Lang Bell Outstanding Teacher Award, WWU
  • ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs)
  • NACADA Outstanding Faculty Academic Advising Award (National Academic Advising Association)
  • WWU Excellence in Academic Advisement Award
  • WWU School of Business Teaching Excellence Award
  • WWU Presidential Excellence in Teaching Award
  • WWU School of Business Teaching Excellence Award

Memberships

  • American Accounting Association
  • American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
  • Washington Society of CPAs

Research Interests

  • The influence of religion and culture on investment practices
  • Assessing and increasing the level of professional skepticism among financial auditors
  • The rising significance of intangible assets and the challenges of valuation
  • Financial metrics for not-for-profit organizations
  • Historical and current regulatory developments in the credit union industry

Hobbies

Bird-watching, hiking, singing, playing keyboard/guitar, and motorcycle riding

Kyle Craig

Professor of Chemistry

(509) 527-2762
kyle.craig@wallawalla.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. University of British Columbia; specialized in bio-organic chemistry with an emphasis in natural products/drug discovery
  • M.S. Walla Walla University; Biology with an emphasis in rodent ecology

Teaching Areas

Biochemistry, General Chemistry, Introductory Chemistry, Integrated Chemistry Laboratory and Chemistry Seminar

Hobbies

Camping, Hiking, Canyoneering, Photography and Reading

Nerissa Lewis

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

(509) 527-2040
nerissa.lewis@wallawalla.edu

Education

  • Ph.D. Louisiana State University
    • Synthesis and characterization of B12model complexes and the study of their potential use in the targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic metal compounds 
    • Design of ligands for the chelation of metals, particularly cobalt, rhenium and platinum
  • M.Sc. University of Southern Mississippi 
    • Synthesis and characterization of novel vanadium(IV) complexes and the study of their potential use as cancer therapeutic agents.
    • Development of a viable mechanism for the fate of the products obtained upon aerial oxidation of novel vanadium(IV) complexes.

Teaching Areas

General Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry

Experience

  • Development of new methods for the synthesis of metal compounds
  • Knowledge in the characterization of metal compounds by using FT IR, UV-Visible, Fluorescence, Circular Dichroism, 1D and 2D 1H and 13C NMR Spectroscopies, ESI and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, and Cyclic and Square Wave Voltammetry

Hobbies

Hiking, camping, swimming

Other

Awards

  • TA Scholar Award presented by the Department of Chemistry (Louisiana State University) in recognition of outstanding services as a teaching assistant.
  • The Metro New York Chapter graduate student award for the application of precious metals to Medical Research awarded by the International Precious Metal Institute, Inc.
  • Certificate of academic leadership awarded by the American Afro Association of the University of Southern Mississippi.
  • Certificate of Excellence for outstanding performance in Analytical Chemistry awarded by the University of the West Indies.
  • Certificate of academic excellence awarded by the University of the West Indies.